Can I schedule a contractor payment a month ahead of time and have it direct deposited on the day I select?

You're in the right place to get answers, @catherined. 

Yes, you can schedule a contractor payment one month advance in QuickBooks Online(QBO). I'll show you how to achieve that task in your account. 

In QBO, we have max 45 days to create advance direct deposit payment. If this is your first time using Direct Deposit (DD), you'll be required to complete the following information:

• Confirm that the contractor profile is complete. 
• Make sure that your company's payroll is setup for direct deposit.
• Ensure that the contractor banking information is entered already into the system.

Once done, you may now follow the steps below: 

1. Go to the Payroll menu and choose Contractors.
2. Pick appropriate transaction type in the Pay with direct deposit drop-down.
3. Enter the amount for the direct deposit.
4. Select a Category and Bank account. 
5. Ensure that the date on Pay on section is correct. 
6. Click Save & Send or Pay. 

For more details, see this link: Pay a contractor with direct deposit.

Additionally, I recommend reading these articles to help track and manage your vendor/contractor payments:

• Run a report with vendor totals
•  Fix direct deposit issues

I'm still here if you have any other concerns or additional questions about direct deposit. Just post the details, and I'll reply as quickly as I can.

@catherined 

You can also utilize Melio to schedule (and pay) your contractors for free.

https://melio.grsm.io/quickbooks